


There Was A Process

by MaliceManaged



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Gen, Pre-Thor (2011), Sneaky Frigga (Marvel), Tumblr Prompt, Tumblr: imagine-loki, magical mishaps
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-18
Updated: 2018-03-18
Packaged: 2019-04-03 21:41:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14005377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaliceManaged/pseuds/MaliceManaged
Summary: There are reasons Loki doesn't normally train others in seidr wielding. Important, valid reasons. Pity he, like the rest of his immediate family, can't say 'no' to his mother...





	There Was A Process

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the prompt: _Imagine Loki teaching you magic and telling you to “think of something and it’ll happen.” And of course, your mind wanders. And poof!_
> 
>  
> 
> _Loki is suddenly stark naked in front of you._
> 
>  
> 
> I wrote this because one (1) line in it wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it down, and it kinda went from there. Bask in it. Bask, I say!

    It was meant to be a simple conjuration lesson. He should have known better; nothing was ever simple with _her._

 

    The little semi-mortal was found by Frigga wandering in her garden with no real explanation for how she’d gotten there and, for reasons the queen refused to disclose and Odin was _still_ fuming about, she’d been allowed to stay despite the king’s dislike for midgardians. It wasn’t long before they’d discovered the woman had an innate talent for magick and was completely untrained in it, which possibly explained her arrival. For the sake of all involved, Frigga began teaching her to control her power, and often, to his immense displeasure, asked Loki to assist her.

 

    It wasn’t that he held any animosity against the short-haired brunette. He actually rather liked her, in fact. She was curious, funny, creative, and had a knack for getting in trouble that was quite amusing. She also lacked the self-consciousness of most others in court that made them near-obsess over every aspect of themselves; she was unapologetically - and often quite loudly - herself, in all her impulsive, restless, and really quite odd glory. But as alluring as that simple honesty was to him, it didn’t change the fact that she was... not the easiest person to teach.

 

    Oh, when she found the lesson fun, the hours went by in no time at all! But any tediousness and he’d spend the better part of the lesson just trying to keep her attention on the same _planet,_ let alone the task at hand. Which appeared to be the case today.

 

    “For Norns’ sake, Maribel; just reach for the damned candle!” he snapped frustratedly. His mother would likely scold him for the lack of patience ( _“Inexcusably counterproductive for a teacher”,_ he could just hear her say), but they _had_ been at this for two hours and it was really not a difficult spell at all. He knew she could do it, if she would only just _pay attention._

 

    “That’s what I’m trying to do!” Maribel snapped back, every bit as frustrated. She knew they’d been at this for a long time - the seconds an obnoxious ticking clock in a corner of her mind - and the lack of improvement was grating on her nerves so much, she was surprised nothing had burst into flames yet.

 

    _That_ had been an interesting week.

 

    “Just focus-”

 

     “Oh, well, why didn’t I think of _that?”_

 

    “- On the candle,” he continued through half gritted teeth, “And will it to your hand. I know you know how to do this; it’s the same basic principle as telekinesis, only you’re distorting the space around an object instead of physically pulling it to you.”

 

    “We’ve been at this forever!” she groaned somewhat childishly, throwing her hands up, “I’m bored, I’m annoyed, and I think I wanna cry; can’t we just take a break?”

 

    He narrowed his eyes at her slightly, trying to determine if she was being serious or melodramatic just to get her way; it wouldn’t exactly be the first time. After a moment he let out a sigh. “Twenty minutes.”

 

    She narrowed her eyes back at him. “Thirty.”

 

    He arched an eyebrow and crossed his arms at his chest. “Twenty-five.”

 

    “... Fine,” she conceded, knowing she wouldn’t be getting any more than that.

 

    “It might be good to have lunch, in any case-”

 

    The words were barely out of his mouth before she was sprinting for the door. “’Kay, you do that, bye!”

 

    Loki rolled his eyes but let her go. As long as she was back when the twenty-five minutes were up, he didn’t much care how she spent them. It would give him peace and quiet, too. He did like her, but she could be a little overwhelming at times. Which, to be fair, wasn’t really her fault, but it did mean he occasionally need to be far away from her lest he say something he would later regret.

 

****

 

   Maribel was soaking wet when she walked back into the room Frigga had set aside for her lessons, and Loki looked at her bemusedly for a moment but ultimately decided he probably didn’t want to know.

 

    It took just another moment for curiosity to get the better of him. “What in the world happened to you?”

 

    “Tripped into a fountain,” she replied with a casual shrug.

 

    “What were you doing to manage _that?”_

 

    “Following a cloud.”

 

    He stared at her for a moment then shook his head. He knew he shouldn’t have asked. “You could have changed into something dry, at least.”

 

    “Meh; effort.”

 

    He rolled his eyes. “Suit yourself. Ready to try again?”

 

    Maribel rolled her shoulders back, shifting slightly on her feet, a determined expression on her face. “Alright; let’s do this bitch!”

 

    He chuckled lightly then indicated the candle. “Focus on the candle and will it to you. Magick is intention, you know this; think of something, _will it_ to be, and it’ll happen.”

 

    She nodded determinately and turned her attention to the candle, trying to focus on it and it alone. It didn’t take long for that focus to wane and move to other things; like the fact that her wet clothes were clinging to her body rather uncomfortably now she had stopped moving. And that the dress’ fabric, nicely light while dry, seemed to weight twice as much now. Still, it could have been worse, she mused; she was only wearing two layers, not including her underwear. Unlike Loki, who never seemed to wear less than four layers of fabric, and not the light stuff they used on her dresses either. Plus there was the leather. And the occasional metal. Particularly when he wore his armour, with the golden breastplate and such...

 

   How did he _breathe_ under all that?

 

    “Oh, for Hel’s sake!” she heard Loki say suddenly, sounding quite exasperated.

 

    She snapped her attention back to him and blinked; he was, a quick glance up and down confirmed beyond a doubt, completely naked. And not very amused for it, if his expression was any indication. “Um... Oops?”

 

    “Indeed,” he deadpanned. “When I said ‘think of something’; this was not what I had in mind.”

 

    “Sorry.”

 

    “Dare I ask why?” he asked against his better judgement.

 

    She opened her mouth then closed it and bit her lips together before replying. “There was a process...”

 

    He frowned, a thought occurring to him. “Bel; have you taken your medication today?”

 

    She stared back at him with admirable blankness for a moment. “That depends... which answer gets me in less trouble?”

 

    Loki buried his face in his hand with a long-suffering sigh. “You realise you take those for a reason, don’t you?”

 

    She threw her hands up. “Sorry; I forgot! My phone stopped working - which I’m ninety percent sure is Thor’s fault - and it had all my alarms and reminders, so I’ve kinda just been winging it for the past two days - and why _does_ that phrase exist? What do wings have to do with it?”

 

    _“Maribel,”_ Loki interrupted before she went off on a tangent.

 

    “Presente!” she called back, throwing her hand high up in the air.

 

    “That’s not... never mind.” With a thought, he materialised another outfit onto himself from his chambers, having no idea where she’d sent the one he’d been wearing. “Well, technically, you succeeded. Wrong target, and I am genuinely afraid to ask where my clothes are now, but I’ll count it as a success under the circumstances.”

 

    Maribel let out a high pitched squeal of delight, hands curled into loose fists at her chest, bouncing in place. Just then, Frigga walked into the room, taking in Maribel’s obvious glee and Loki’s failed attempt at suppressing his amusement at such with a smile. It pleased her that they got along so well; it certainly would make things easier in the long run.

 

    “I take it the lesson went well?” the queen asked, bringing her presence to their attention.

 

    “More or less; though your student doesn’t seem to know what a candle is,” Loki replied with a smirk.

 

    “Oh, bite me,” Maribel retorted, earning a laugh.

 

    “I see. Well, a good day’s work, I would say, given what you are missing,” Frigga say, raising her hand and revealing Maribel’s pill box, “You left this in my drawing room, dear.”

 

    Maribel blushed bright red and walked up to the queen, taking the pill box with a sheepish smile. “Oops.”

 

    “It seems to be running a bit low; you should speak with Eir about replenishing it. I hope they are adequate,” Frigga inquired with a touch of concern.

 

    “It’s fine,” Maribel replied with a reassuring smile, “Better than the last ones.”

 

    It had been no small concern for Frigga after Maribel had explained her disorder to her, replacing her medication. Acquiring more from Midgard was not exactly ideal, given the time she’d had convincing Odin to allow Maribel to be there at all. She’d brought the matter to Eir, who, along with several other healers, had taken it as a personal challenge to come up with a working substitute. It took some time and some failed attempts, but they seemed to have succeeded, though that didn’t stop them from trying to improve the formula.

 

    “Good,” Frigga said, relieved.

 

    “May I go now, mother? I actually had something I wanted done.”

 

    “Of course, dear, and thank you for taking over.” He walked up to her and kissed her cheek, which she returned before looking him over curiously. “Those are not the clothes you had on when I left...?”

 

    Loki froze momentarily. “Well, what’s the point of having so many outfits if I don’t wear them?” Frigga arched an eyebrow and he cleared his throat, face going slightly pink. “I will see you at dinner,” he half muttered before making a swift exit from the room.

 

    Frigga looked to Maribel for an explanation but she raised her hands in surrender. “I plead the fifth!”

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment. Author is a needy bean. Validate me!


End file.
